Now This I What I Call Irony...

[Lord Jim]

Lord Dampnut is about to give a speech at a ceremony aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, the navy's newest aircraft carrier, (it's scheduled to be officially commissioned this summer)

So a ship named after the man who was probably the most psychologically secure and least ego-driven President of modern times, is going to be the venue for a speech delivered by the least psychologically secure and most ego-driven President in American history...

[Burning Petard]

I was very angry when Ford became president and it looked like a tit-for-tat that Nixon got a pardon that covered anything and everything. Under terms of that pardon (as I remember it, shaded by my ancient anger) RMN could actually stand in the middle of a street in NYC and shoot somebody and get away with it because the pardon covered all future conduct.

But Ford's life history had some interesting angles. At the time it was a comedian's cliche that this president actually could not walk and chew gum at the same time. But the real account of Ford's lifetime achievements indicated he had made a very successful career of NEVER being the smartest guy in the room, no matter if it was a room full of Joe Six Packs at the Laborers Union hall or an assembly of Nobel Laureats. Jerry Ford seemed to be comfortable with the group, and the room as comfortable with him! He made chameleons look conspicious. He always was in a supporting role, appearing to be barely competent to just hang on to the requirements of the job. Yet he never hit the ceiling of his potential and avoided spectacular failures. He never achieved the Peter Principle of rising to the level of his incompetence. He so consistently succeeded in the background, never looking better than his boss, that it was rarely noticed at the time just how much he actually did accomplish.

snailgate.

[Lord Jim]

I was very angry when Ford became president and it looked like a tit-for-tat that Nixon got a pardon that covered anything and everything. Under terms of that pardon (as I remember it, shaded by my ancient anger) RMN could actually stand in the middle of a street in NYC and shoot somebody and get away with it because the pardon covered all future conduct.

Well, you can be a little less angry SG, because your recollection is incorrect....

The Pardon only covered the period of his Presidency:

THEREFORE, I, GERALD R. FORD, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and seventy-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and ninety-ninth.

GERALD R. FORD

http://watergate.info/1974/09/08/text-o ... ation.html

[rubato]

Only the Roman Catholic church gave [sold] pardons for crimes not yet committed.

And as to the jokes about his clumsiness he was a standout college football, player; not in the least clumsy. The story was perpetuated by selecting only the data which supported that conclusion and ignoring all the rest.

Ford played center, linebacker, and long snapper for the school's football team,[12] and helped the Wolverines in two undefeated seasons and national titles in 1932 and 1933. The team suffered a steep decline in his 1934 senior year, however, winning only one game. Ford was the team's star nonetheless. After a game during which Michigan held heavily favored Minnesota (the eventual national champion) to a scoreless tie in the first half, assistant coach Bennie Oosterbaan later said, "When I walked into the dressing room at halftime, I had tears in my eyes I was so proud of them. Ford and [Cedric] Sweet played their hearts out. They were everywhere on defense."

The pardon was his lowpoint because it stole from the country the ability to see the evidence and see the arguments for ourselves. It is especially important that the public see for themselves that the rich and powerful will be held to account to counter the kind of cynicism which the Republicans have promoted by saying that government is always corrupt and can never be trusted.

He was an honorable and honest man and supported his wife when it was not politically convenient to do so.

yrs,
rubato

[ex-khobar Andy]

I though the same thing (as Rube above) at the time of the pardon. I was robbed of seeing the loathed Nixon in jail. But with a few years of hindsight, it seemed like much the lesser of two evils and truly what was necessary for a real recovery. A wise decision.

[Lord Jim]

Ford Wins Kennedy Award For 'Courage' of Nixon Pardon

By ADAM CLYMERMAY 22, 2001



Former President Gerald R. Ford, overwhelmingly condemned in 1974 for pardoning his predecessor, Richard M. Nixon, was honored today for that act by the John F. Kennedy Library with its Profile in Courage award.

Caroline Kennedy, President Kennedy's daughter, presented a beaming Mr. Ford, 87, with a silver lantern emblematic of the award. She said Mr. Ford had proved that ''politics can be a noble profession'' with his ''controversial decision of conscience'' to issue the pardon. She said Mr. Ford's act was in the tradition honored by her father's 1956 book, ''Profiles in Courage.''

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts told the audience at the John F. Kennedy Library: ''I was one of those who spoke out against his action then. But time has a way of clarifying past events, and now we see that President Ford was right. His courage and dedication to our country made it possible for us to begin the process of healing and put the tragedy of Watergate behind us.''

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/22/us/fo ... ardon.html

[Big RR]

I guess I still need more time to "clarify" past events. FWIW, time hasn't clarified Ted's drive off the bridge either, but I can see why he wanted to believe time would do so.

[Long Run]

At the time it was a comedian's cliche that this president actually could not walk and chew gum at the same time.

This was a prime early example (at least in most of our lives) of the herd/bias mentality in the popular media. Ford was always covered as a klutz, and yet was and remains the most athletic president in history. He was portrayed as mentally slow, and yet was quite intelligent. In an era where the media continually create new nadirs in their trustworthiness index (which, of course, is exploited by the POTUS), it is also worth remembering how that long slide began with their erroneous and slanted coverage of the man who pardoned the hated Nixon.

[rubato]

I though the same thing (as Rube above) at the time of the pardon. I was robbed of seeing the loathed Nixon in jail. But with a few years of hindsight, it seemed like much the lesser of two evils and truly what was necessary for a real recovery. A wise decision.

I didn't care about punishment so much* I cared, and still do, about a public airing of the truth. We should have kept faith with history.


yrs,
rubato

Although Ford's comment that Nixon had "suffered enough" is risable.

[Big RR]

At the time it was a comedian's cliche that this president actually could not walk and chew gum at the same time.

This was a prime early example (at least in most of our lives) of the herd/bias mentality in the popular media. Ford was always covered as a klutz, and yet was and remains the most athletic president in history. He was portrayed as mentally slow, and yet was quite intelligent. In an era where the media continually create new nadirs in their trustworthiness index (which, of course, is exploited by the POTUS), it is also worth remembering how that long slide began with their erroneous and slanted coverage of the man who pardoned the hated Nixon.

true--but he did have more unfortunate klutzy episodes than any president I recall, including a tumble down the stairs of Air Force 1. And while he might have been intelligent, he was not quick on his feet, and had a number of gaffes that were played up. finally, he laso had an odd speaking style, speaking in short bursts of 3 or 4 words at a time--something Chevy Chase nailed to a tee.

Every president had something the press used to get at them, based on their early behavior--Nixon was evil and paranoid, Carter a smiling fool, Reagan was senile, both Bushes (especially W) dumb and out of touch, Clinton was smarmy and untrustworthy, etc. Look at some historical political cartoons and press stories and you'll see this has been part of out history since the 18th century; it didn't just start with Ford. None were as bad as they were portrayed, or as good as those who sang their praises, but this sort of criticism goes with the job. Ford wasn't singled out for this treatment.

[Long Run]

true--but he did have more unfortunate klutzy episodes than any president I recall, * * *
Every president had something the press used to get at them * * * Ford wasn't singled out for this treatment.

The press portrayed him as having more unfortunate klutz episodes -- we have no way of knowing if he was more or less prone to an occasional trip or head-bonk than the average person, or whether other president tripped more or less. We do know Ford was very athletic which belies the common media view. As you note, the media tend to fixate on this type of thing, hence my use of the term "herd/bias", which in the end decreases the trustworthiness of the media.

[Big RR]

they also showed him skiing at Vail, showed pictures from his college football days, and pretty much did not deny he was athletic, but you cannot deny he was clumsy at times (and even athletes can be clumsy); and you cannot deny he said he wrong things when speaking off the cuff many times (like his gaffe in the debates about the Soviet influence over Eastern Europe).

As for decreasing the "trustworthiness of the media", I guess we'll just have to disagree; you see it as inaccurate reporting, I see it as what the media does to all public figures and don't take it seriously.

[rubato]

Search Results
con·fir·ma·tion bi·as
noun
noun: confirmation bias

the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs or theories.

I think this is confirmation bias not 'herd bias'


"Beliefs come first." Per Michael Shermer people form beliefs very quickly and then only notice data which confirms their beliefs and ignore or 'explain away' data which contradicts.


In Ford's case there were very few such episodes and some, hitting someone else with a golf ball was one, which are not evidence of a lack of agility at all. IMO the media were followers and not leaders in this exercise in self-delusion. When they discovered that stories about "klutzy" president Ford got a reaction they made sure any such was featured. But they did not say "the president is a klutz" they said "he fell on the stairs" and the viewer added the generalization.


More the general public who created this false belief and repeated it.

yrs,
rubato

[rubato]

From the NYT:

Chevy Chase as the Klutz in Chief, and a President Who Was in on the Joke

By MARK LEIBOVICHDEC. 29, 2006
Continue reading the main story
Share This Page

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 — While the events leading to Gerald Ford’s ascent to the White House tarred him as an accidental president, he will also be remembered as an accident-prone president.

And for this he could thank the comedian Chevy Chase, or blame him, or (as he would eventually choose) laugh along.

No one did more to solidify Mr. Ford’s unfortunate, and perhaps unfair, standing as the nation’s First Klutz than Mr. Chase, the “Saturday Night Live” cast member who routinely portrayed the president committing all manner of trips, flails and lurches.

Mr. Ford’s cheerful reaction to the sendup included doing a cameo for “Saturday Night Live” from the Oval Office; sending his press secretary, Ron Nessen, on the show; and appearing with Mr. Chase at a political dinner. That type of reaction became a benchmark of what would come to be an essential presidential image-making skill: an ability to laugh at oneself.
Continue reading the main story

People in the political and entertainment worlds recall Mr. Ford as a contemporary hero in this regard.

“He was just so incredibly decent and good-natured about the skit,” said Lorne Michaels, the longtime producer of “Saturday Night Live.” Mr. Ford sent a signal, Mr. Michaels said, that it was all right to be lighthearted about the presidency after the ordeal of the Watergate years.

“You couldn’t imagine Nixon signaling that this was O.K.,” Mr. Michaels said. In a sense, he added, Mr. Ford was telling the country that “we could all move on from this.”

“This” referred to Watergate, and Mr. Ford, who was acutely aware of the public mood, was adept at using humor as a balm.

“At the time,” Mr. Ford wrote in his book “Humor and the Presidency,” “the media and general public still resented any hint of ‘imperial’ trappings in connection with the presidency or the White House.”

Mr. Ford avoided any evidence of magisterial bearing with his understated manner and game efforts in the fledgling realm of presidential stand-up. At the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association dinner in 1975, he surreptitiously grabbed the tablecloth on the way to the podium and sent silverware flying toward Mr. Chase.

“Ford looked back with this great look of wonderment at what had happened,” recalled Robert Orben, a television comedy writer who became a top aide to Mr. Ford. “He was someone who was not afraid to have fun at his own expense.”

[Lord Jim]

both Bushes (especially W) dumb and out of touch,

I don't think 41 was really portrayed as "dumb" (out of touch yes, like the unfair big deal that was out of his encounter with what was then a new type of grocery price scanner)

The main media caricature of GHWB was "wimp":



Of course that became a tougher sell after the Gulf War...

[Scooter]

Vomiting in the Japanese prime minister's lap probably didn't help.

[Big RR]

I think you're right with Bush senior Jim.